In traditional mobile calling plans, mobile subscribers place calls to other subscribers and are billed at the end of each billing period for each call placed during that period. Calls may be billed based on a variety of factors, such as length of each call and the type of call (i.e. voice, video, text message, long-distance, local, etc). However, in recent years, mobile network operators have also offered so-called “prepaid” calling plans to mobile subscribers where subscribers pay for calls in advance of placing them by setting aside a prepaid credit amount dedicated to paying for prepaid calls. Prepaid calling plans then use this prepaid credit amount associated with each prepaid mobile subscriber to determine, before connecting each call, whether the subscriber possesses enough prepaid credit to place the call. Upon completing the call, the prepaid credit amount is typically debited. Therefore, when a call is initiated by a prepaid subscriber, a prepaid credit status database containing prepaid credit information associated with the prepaid subscriber is queried to determine whether the subscriber possesses enough prepaid credit to connect the call. Network operators typically pay a license fee for each query serviced by a prepaid status database.
In addition to the prepaid calling plans mentioned above, many network operators have begun offering so-called “unlimited” prepaid calling plans to in-network subscribers. Subscribers belonging to unlimited prepaid calling plans may place an unlimited number of calls to other subscribers if the type of call being placed is included in the plan and the call is “in-network” (i.e. both the calling subscriber and the called subscriber belong to the same network). Therefore, for all in-network calls placed by unlimited prepaid subscribers, the response to a prepaid status query always includes an instruction to proceed with connecting the call. It is thus appreciated that networks including a large number of unlimited prepaid subscribers placing in-network calls will generate a similarly large number of prepaid status queries and affirmative prepaid status query responses.
One problem associated with conventional prepaid status query systems is that an unnecessary number of prepaid status queries are sent to prepaid credit status databases for queries associated with unlimited-plan prepaid subscribers. Many prepaid status queries associated with unlimited prepaid calling plans may be unnecessary because the determination regarding whether to place the call may be made without examining information located in a prepaid credit status database. These additional unnecessary status queries increase the message traffic load in communications networks, thereby increasing the cost and complexity required to maintain service for other types of network traffic. In addition, prepaid database operators often charge license fees for queries to their data. Unnecessary queries to the prepaid databases thus result in unnecessary license fee and loss of revenue.
Accordingly, a need exists for offloading prepaid credit status queries from prepaid credit status databases related to unlimited in-network prepaid calls.